Water Use Rules in Texas (2026)

Abilene's landscaping code requires every required landscape area, including single-family and two-family yards, to…

New commercial, industrial, and multifamily development in Denton must screen from adjacent land uses with a landscaped…

Garland makes it a criminal offense for anyone, including a homeowners association acting under a dedicatory…

Irving's landscape ordinance, updated by the city council on February 15, 2018, lets residential and commercial…

Leander caps turfgrass at half of a single-family or two-family lot, after impervious cover, and requires…

During a declared Stage III drought, New Braunfels caps new residential and commercial landscape installations at 50…

Arlington Water Utilities offers rebates for homeowners converting thirsty turf grass to drought-tolerant landscaping…

Austin Water's WaterWise Landscape Rebate, administered by the Conservation Division, pays residential and commercial…

SAWS WaterSaver Landscape Coupons offer rebates when Bexar County customers replace high-water turf with…

Cedar Park encourages drought-resistant xeriscape landscaping through public education, plant examples at City Hall…

Corpus Christi Water offers rebates for converting irrigated turf to drought-tolerant landscape and for installing…

Dallas Water Utilities offers a turf reduction rebate that pays single-family customers to replace thirsty St…

Dallas County does not run a turf replacement rebate, but member cities and water utilities including Dallas, Frisco…

El Paso Water offers per-square-foot rebates to homeowners and businesses who replace traditional turfgrass with…

Fort Worth Water Department offers conservation rebates that can include turf reduction, irrigation upgrades, and rain…

Frisco offers WaterWise rebates and landscape conversion incentives encouraging residents to replace high-water turf…

Lubbock encourages homeowners to replace traditional turf with drought-tolerant landscaping through periodic Water…

Plano partners with NTMWD on the Water IQ SmartScape program, offering homeowners rebates and free design templates for…

SAWS WaterSaver Landscape Coupon, administered by the Conservation Department, pays residential customers for replacing…

Turf replacement is voluntary in Travis County. Several water providers including Austin Water and WTCPUA offer rebates…

Grand Prairie's cross-connection control article flatly bars hooking any auxiliary water source, including reclaimed or…

Abilene runs a nonpotable reuse program and an indirect potable reuse system for its water supply, and treated…

Amarillo Code Sec. 4-5-36 lets landscape irrigation systems use reclaimed water only with purple-coded piping, an…

Austin Water may extend reclaimed water service to any property in its service area under Sec. 25-9-383, but service is…

In unincorporated subdivisions of five acres or less, a subdivider who proposes to reuse treated wastewater (greywater)…

Carrollton's cross-connection ordinance bars every reclaimed water system, including industrial ones, from ever…

Conroe Code of Ordinances § 14-492 allows reclaimed water in landscape irrigation only under strict conditions: no…

Denton allows reclaimed water for landscape irrigation only with purple pipe, backflow protection, and posted bilingual…

Farmersville allows reclaimed water in landscape irrigation only when six conditions in Sec. 74-156 are met, covering…

Fort Worth sells treated wastewater as reclaimed water only inside its designated service area and only under a signed…

Any subdivision proposal in unincorporated Jefferson County that includes greywater reuse for treated wastewater must…

Every new conveyer or in-bay automatic car wash in Killeen must install a water recycling system that reuses at least…

Laredo allows reclaimed water in landscape irrigation systems only under strict safeguards set by Sec. 25-93…

Lewisville allows reclaimed water in landscape irrigation only under conditions set by City Code § 4-112, amending…

New Braunfels allows reclaimed wastewater in landscape irrigation under City Code § 14-50(l), but only through…

Rowlett allows reclaimed (recycled) water in landscape irrigation only with purple-coded piping, backflow protection on…

SAWS' recycled water program, set out in San Antonio Code Secs. 34-1141 through 34-1145, limits recycled water to…

Sugar Land allows reclaimed water in landscape irrigation only with purple-coded piping, a required backflow air gap on…

SAWS operates one of the largest recycled water systems in Texas, serving the San Antonio River Walk base flow and…

Converse routes treated wastewater effluent to industrial and landscape customers to cut Edwards Aquifer groundwater…

El Paso Water blends Rio Grande surface water, fresh and brackish groundwater, the Kay Bailey Hutchison desalination…

Garland lets treated sewage effluent be reused as industrial process water once the City Health Department approves the…

Leander's Water Conservation and Drought Contingency Plan does not apply to customers on the city's reuse water system…

Lubbock's Unified Development Code lets a development irrigate its required landscaping with reclaimed, recycled, gray…

Cedar Park's water reclamation facility supplies treated effluent for irrigation at City parks and facilities…

Corpus Christi explores reclaimed water for industrial customers and irrigation at parks and golf courses, while a…

Dallas operates a limited reclaimed-water system supplying treated effluent for golf course, park, and industrial…

Frisco uses NTMWD-sourced reclaimed water for select large-site irrigation and operates non-potable distribution at…

Georgetown's drought contingency rules do not apply to reclaimed water at all: anyone using reclaimed water that is not…

Irving's Water Management Plan documents an active, contractual, non-potable water reuse system rather than a rule for…

Plano uses NTMWD-treated reclaimed water to irrigate select parks, golf courses, and medians, reducing potable demand…

Recycled and reclaimed water service in Travis County is largely confined to the City of Austin reclaimed water…

Plano treats leaking water that reaches a neighbor's yard or the street as a nuisance. Sec. 21-52 bans letting…

Abilene's water conservation plan treats an unrepaired sprinkler head, valve, pipe, or faucet leak as "waste of water,"…

Austin City Code Sec. 6-4-12 treats an unrepaired controllable leak, a broken sprinkler head, drip line, pipe or valve…

Carrollton's Code of Ordinances Section 52.093(A)(1) makes it a criminal offense for a property owner, tenant, or…

Cedar Park holds property owners, agents, and tenants responsible for water loss and damage from leaks in pipes or…

Conroe requires owners of any private line, hydrant or irrigation system tied to the municipal water supply to fix…

In Converse, water customers must maintain the plumbing from the meter to their home or business, and the city bills…

Corpus Christi bills one-family wastewater customers on a winter-quarter average usage figure, capped at 25,000 gallons…

Denton utility customers who want a bill credit for a water leak must repair it within 30 days of detection and apply…

El Paso City Code § 15.13.030(B)(2) makes failing to repair a leak within five working days of discovering it a…

Fort Worth City Code § 35-26 defines wasting water as strictly prohibited and requires property owners to repair any…

Grand Prairie treats an unrepaired water leak as a non-essential use under its drought contingency plan, Code of…

Houston ties your water bill relief directly to how fast you report and fix a line leak: full credit inside 30 days…

Irving makes it a criminal offense to let water leak, pond, or run unrepaired on your property. City Code Sec…

Killeen's water code assigns leak duty to three parties. Sec. 30-13(e) requires city staff to investigate customer…

Leander requires water customers to repair leaks within ten days of notice, treating an unrepaired leak that wastes…

City employees, including police officers, must report any water leaks or unnecessary waste they observe to the…

Lubbock holds property owners, their agents and tenants responsible for water lost to leaks in pipes or plumbing on the…

New Braunfels ties how fast you must fix a leaking pipe or fixture to the city's drought stage. Sec. 130-228 requires…

Pearland's Drought Contingency Plan classifies failing to fix a controllable water leak after the city gives notice as…

San Angelo treats an unrepaired leak as a water-waste violation, not just a billing problem. Code of Ordinances Sec…

San Antonio's drought and water conservation ordinance classifies failing to repair a controllable leak as unlawful…

Taylor's Drought Contingency Plan treats an unrepaired controllable leak as a prohibited, non-essential water use once…

Texarkana's water and sewer system repairs and maintains lines only up to the meter; Sec. 42-5(d) puts the water line…

Farmersville adjusts a customer's water bill for a documented leak of at least 10,000 gallons above normal use under…

Sugar Land lets residential water customers request a bill adjustment when a leak beyond their control drove up usage…